Ural in this together now
Date of battle: 5/15/08 Urals Compared to other mountain ranges on Earth, this range is rather small in stature...however, the freezing, biting gusts of wind make traversing this mountain range a hellish ordeal. To the north, and just visible over some of the shorter mountain peaks, you can see the great snowy wasteland that is Siberia. While some humans make their home in these mountains...overall it is not a safe place to be. So you had best be moving on! Contents: Apeface Glaive II - Prototype Exo-Tank Hermes Class Glaive II - Prototype hovers into the area, rather slowly. His radio is open and is hopefully still transmitting his coordinates to Beetle and the rest of the EDC. << I was here before in the light armor. Definite Con activity happening. Perhaps we can adjust this.>> Exo-Tank Hermes Class Tank is on a steady and somewhat stealthy approach. The Warthog's hovering abilities - not to mention the gentle 'tweaking' James himself did to the propulsion systems to overclock them and better appeal to his own need for speed - make quick work of even the most rugged mountain terrain while also allowing it to approach literally under the radar. Inside, James transmits back, <> Meanwhile Apeface is cruising the perimeter, doing slow barrel rolls to ease the boredom. He sweeps the terrain below with his ground-following search radar, but doesn't pick up Bailey's hovertank on a casual search as it's lost in the ground clutter. The Glaive, on the other hand, does ping. It's a small object but he's curious about it- there's not much else to look at, out here! He banks in that direction. From Glaive II - Prototype , Nate Briar is a rather smart pilot and heads back to where Beetle is, << I'll keep above you. Remember that tactic I came up with last week. So far it's quiet. I'm not loving this quietness.>> He's not aware of Apeface yet. Though, he knows something is out here from before. Superjet rockets by overhead and transforms rapidly into his ape mode, cracking into a mountainside with hands and feet splayed. He clings to the craggy slope for a moment to get his bearings before clambering down to a ledge and transforming again into his tall slim robot mode, armed with riot shield and boomer rifle. He sets the shield into the ground in front of him and lays the rifle over the top of it, dialing in the scope to peer in the direction from which he sensed the radar return. "Let's see who's out there..." Apeface rearranges himself swiftly into his tall, lean robot mode. James Bailey looks at a small display on the corner of his HUD, then triggers his radio. "Lead, picking up a possible contact on sensors here. Might be a Decepticon fast-mover headed your way. Can you confirm?" He alters his tank's course so that heads up a particularly tall mountain. Glaive II - Prototype tries to scan, <> The Glaive begins to drop altitude slowly and tries to be near the Hermes to protect it. Exo-Tank Hermes Class Tank slows to a stop on the upper part of the mountain, across a huge valley from the one Apeface is on. It changes to robot mode to enable it's more sophisticated scanners. Inside, James transmits back, <>. He peers at the visual display, then slowly runs his view along the neighbooring mountside. Sooner or later his gaze will run across Apeface's position... Exo-Tank Hermes Class unfolds each pod under itself forming arms and legs, the nose folds down revealing a head which flashes its lone optic. Apeface adjusts his scope again, zooming out. "Hmm, nothing there, nothing... ah, it's back. And it's brought a friend." He switches on the laser sight and settles his cheek against the stock, dialing in the more obvious of the two human vehicles gliding along. Will one of the humans notice the red dot on the Glaive's shell before Apeface can punch a sonic pulse into it? Apeface misses Glaive II - Prototype with his Sonic Boomer (pulse) attack. James Bailey spots a faint red line, and his EDC military training kicks in, instantly identifying it as a targetting laser revealed by the snow. "Cover!" He barks out over his Warthog's external emitters. Then he tweaks his scanners, tracing the line back to it's origin. "Contact! Two o'clock!" He raises his Exo's weapons and returns fire. You strike Apeface with Medium Laser. The sensors beeps as the exo is pinged, <> The pilot, Nate, jerks the controls of the exo to scurry a couple yards to the left just in the nick of time. <> The pilot disconnects the side mounted pistol from the Glaive and takes aim at Apeface's directions, <> From Glaive II - Prototype , Nate Briar says, "You might have recognized the voice on the radio. :)" Glaive II - Prototype misses Apeface with his Galvcannon_666 attack. Nate Briar says, "Two, this Lead... Not sure if that was a warning shot or not. Be careful though... They might have Redfield as a hostage." Apeface takes a laser hit on the top of the helmet and wastes no time in leaping off of the ledge, shield and rifle in hand. He blocks the pistol shots with his riot shield and returns fire on the tank (the more dangerous-looking customer) as he slides down the mountainside. You evade Apeface's Sonic Boomer (power-saver) attack. <> The Glaive tries to fire another shot from the pistol, "Can't believe I missed! At least He has a worse shot... He's null for two. I'm hopefully one for two. And James is doing better than me!" Nate smirks and pulls the trigger of the pistol. Glaive II - Prototype strikes Apeface with Yay, another pistol shot!. Exo-Tank Hermes Class Robot crouches down slightly to avoid the attack, the Exo's already small profile (relative to the average Decepticon warrior of course) making it easier for the pilot to be evasive. From inside, James runs an eye over a small side display that shows a line-diagram of Apeface, the rifle and shield highlighted and tiny text appearing next to each. Underneath the image flashes the words 'ID: No Match'. "New face, huh?" James muses to himself. Then he transmits back, <>. The Warthog pulls the largish hand-held weapon and aims at Apeface, trying to track him despite the slightly erratic movements. You strike Apeface with Particle Projection Cannon. Apeface is not enjoying this a bit as he gets pelted by particle beams and high velocity rounds. He hasn't encountered humans before either, only seen recordings of them and of course the unarmed ones in Decepticon-controlled territories, and he's not happy for the education! "Man, Snapdragon will never let me live it down if these things get the better of me... I'd better get the lead out!" He holsters his rifle and sprints down the mountainside towards the pair of humans, transforming as he barrels towards them. His mighty gorilla hands are outstretched to try to seize one human vehicle and sling it into the other! Apeface compacts himself down into a hunched, bestial shape. Apeface unleashes his Ape Flailing attack on Glaive II - Prototype and Exo-Tank Hermes Class , striking no one. Exo-Tank Hermes Class Robot shifts away from the attack, causing Apeface's grasping fingers to miss - although they do rub in a screeching metallic shriek across the Exo's extermal armor - and then tries to maneuver around behind the giant metallic gorilla to get in a quick sucker punch in return! You strike Roborilla with punch. Glaive II - Prototype manages to avoid making contact with James' exo by flying upwards in the knick of time! As he does so, he attempts to land a kick into the head of poor Apeface. "Wow, that's three misses. You Decepticons should learn the rules of baseball... You're out!" Nate presses a button to lock the missiles into a ready mode, so he can use them for later. Glaive II - Prototype strikes Roborilla with Boot To The Head. Roborilla gnashes his teeth in frustration as he grapples at the humans- the little things seem to keep slipping out of his grasp! "Don't count me out YET, meatman!" he hisses in a cool voice quite at odds with his bestial mode as he tries to seize the Hermes by the same arm that just clocked him on the chin, and hurl it to the ground. Roborilla strikes you with Hurl for 16 points of damage. Sentinel finally makes into the area, his transport mode not really known for its speed and transforms....sprinting to the ongoing battle. The sound of metal on metal made it easy enough to find and he pulls his energy axe from subspace hoping to even up the odds. "EDC Humans...explain the situation!" So there's a fight going on for the local territory. The balance of power hangs dangling by a delicate margin! Threatening to topple over this way or that depending on how this fight goes! Too bad Astrotrain was scheduled to miss it. Though luckily he was somewhat unaware at first that there was some sort of conflict to take place. RIght now, he has alot of transport work to take care of. And this is where Russia is at it's finest. Good old Mother Russia, great tracts of iron rails crisscrossing the countryside, beckoning from old days of a Soviet Empire at its peak. Just perfect for a triplechanger to hitch up to two dozen large, heavy cargo cars filled to the top with energon cubes as he hauls them back towards where they'll do the most good for the Decepticon war effort. Maybe somebody should have told him that war was getting a little close for comfort, else he might have altered his course before blundering right into it with his precious cargo in tow... Just as the Roborilla manages to abuse poor James' exo, Nate swings the Glaive over Ape face and pins the shoulders of the Decepticon in his sights. The lasers mounted on the forearms of the exo begin to glow and vibrate. "Tactic, destroy turbos and cervos in his arms... Let him become... disarmed!? Gah, what a crappy line." Nate smirks and hopes that James is fairing well. He then hears Sentinel, <> By now, the lasers have charged and he opens fire! Glaive II - Prototype strikes Roborilla with laser. soaring high above the mountainous region is the sleek and shiny spacecraft known as Redshift. He is also known as an insufferable braggart and a sociopathic gun-toting maniac. Take your pick. The small craft has been circling the area, monitoring the situation below as best he can from long range. Apeface had seemed to have the situation in hand, but reinforcements seem to be arriving. The sleek red and black ship dives down, preparing to enter the fray. He had heard rumours of Sheng being back in active duty, and he'd do anything ot get a piece of that elusive golden femme fatale. Locomotive chugs along, oblivious to the fight. For the moment. Though it can't remain so long as the rail line he's following carries him right past the battlefield, and the triplechanger is hauling a huge cargo load of SWEET DELICIOUS ENERGON CUBEY GOODNESS! "o/~ We got a great big convoy, truckin through the niiight! We got a great big convoy, ain't she a beautiful siiight! o/~" James Bailey has a brief half-second to watch various sensors go crazy as his entire Exo is sent flying through the air...and then comes to an abrupt stop as it crashes to the ground. Every screen and LED inside flickers briefly upon impact. James himself is shaken around violently in the restraining straps. "OOF!" It's a wonder the tank's airbag system didn't deploy. He starts looking at the sensors wildly, trying to figure out where Apeface is even as he triggers the transformation sequence and guns the engines. "Got to get some distance..." Finally spotting his Decepticon adversary, he unleashes a few quick laser pulses to cover his attempted withdrawal from melee range. Exo-Tank Hermes Class folds each pod under itself and unfolds to lay down forming its hovertank mode. You strike Roborilla with Small Pulse Laser. It does not take long for Redshift's energy signature to show up on Sentinel's internal scanners. He takes a few giant strides and finds some cover behind a large pile of rocks, his rifle appearing in his hands as he slams his back against the make-shift wall. He peeks his head around the corner and finds his target....drawing his rifle up to his face and firing off a few short bursts of laser fire. Sentinel strikes Red Spacecraft with laser. Nate Briar says, "Two, this looks like a battle we might win." Ultra Magnus was enroute for the conflict, word of a Horrocon having drawn his attention as well as the desire to get back into the fight after a spat of down time brought on by a tangle with a jury-rigged cerebro-shell.. Well He was enroute.. that was befor a pair of crossing arms lowered down over his path. The urgency of the situation told him to simply charge through, even to transform and step over the barrier. His morality and strict adhearence to local traffic laws held him in place. His consistancy paid off once more, the train chugged and puffed into view, a old locomotive churning down the line.. hauling several cars.. that answered his scans with high energy readings. Astrotrain's landform was enough to tip him off, the energy spike was just icing on the cake. One transformation later and there was a towering titan of justice straddling the tracks ahead of him, his arms crossed over his chest.. Looks like someone wanted the train to pull over. Roborilla's small round head spins around to glare at Briar's Glaive as it nails him in the shoulder from behind. "You pest!" he hisses, releasing the tank pelting him with lasers and lunging at Briar instead. Apeface strikes Glaive II - Prototype with Sudden Brutalizing. Roborilla seizes the Glaive by one leg and starts smashing it into the ground, into trees, into rocks, beating it against everything in sight as if it was a piece of luggage. Red Spacecraft plunges towards the ground, long contrails bleeding from the back of his powerful thrusters. He swerves one way and the other, confidant in his ability to dodge the laser fire from below. A little too confidant, perhaps? Redshift is too busy trying to show off his flight skills, and the laser fire strikes home, burning a black hole in his previously unmarred armour. "HEY! Watch the paintjob, I just had my chassis waxed!" He emits with annoyance. He spots an unfamiliar Autobot below, and dives in for a counterattack, strafing the Autobot's location with a wild barrage of laser beams. Redshift strikes Sentinel with Laser Array. Locomotive chuffs and chugs through a small village, ignoring the local inhabitants for the insects they are to him. Right now he's behaving himself since he has a bit of an important job to do, and he's even obeying the laws...sort of. He's blasting his whistle as he goes through communities and the like. Doesn't exactly obey speed laws for freight haulers though. And while he may LOOK like a locomotive in some aspects, things like the rocket boosters on his back and the somewhat futuristic appearance kind of give away his origins. Not to mention the Decepticon emblems. He probably would have went right past Ultra Magnus, none the wiser in fact had he not transformed, so transfixed on his task. But when the car carrier rises up at the crossing ahead of him, Astrotrain finally snaps back to the here and now, slamming on his brakes in a shower of sparks and giving an audible, "Oooof!" as the weight of twenty plus freight cars slam up against his rearward section. It takes him several hundred feet to grind to a stop, leaving the rails smoking and superheated in his wake as he gives an annoyed grunt, noting the Autobot second. "....the slag do YOU want, pretty boy!?" He huffs out. Exo-Tank Hermes Class 's external emitters spew out a few select human curses that would probably be unthemely for any TF to repeat. ;) Then the emitters click on again, "Ghost Lead, get clear!!" The tank swerves to a stop, then veers around and comes darting back towards Apeface and Nate. It seems pretty nimble for a tank...not to mention the fact that James drives it more like a combination motorcycle-and-skateboard rather than the heavy military hardware that it is. Or maybe a bulldozer would be a better analogy... You strike Robo-Kong with ram. You take 4 points of damage from striking Robo-Kong. So, the mighty Apeface finally landed a hit on the poor Glaive! As Donkey Kong... eh, Apeface begins to slam him around, Nate gets an idea. "Tesla coils!" He hits the button that allows for the electrical storm to consume the outside of his Glaive that will hopefully force the damned dirty ape to get away from. The Glaive quickly climbs for altitude to distance itself from his aggressive dance partner! Glaive II - Prototype strikes Robo-Kong with tesla coil shield blade. Let's face it, Sentinel was not built for speed....or hiding, for that matter, and as such is an easy target for Redshift's laser attack. Luckily his chassis takes the brunt of the attack, but it still manages to burn a hole in his right forearm. He flexes the fist a couple of times, insuring there is no lasting damange and scans the skies for his opponent. Strength...check. Target....check. Large rock....check. Grabbing hold of one of the rocks that once made his cover, Sentinel pulls it from the earth and hurtles it towards Redshift. Sentinel misses Red Spacecraft with his Smash attack. Robo-Kong doesn't even see it coming, so focussed is he on cracking that nut. "Ngh!" he exclaims, knocked clear of the electrified Glaive and skidding across the hard cold ground into a tree. "You're tenacious little monsters, I'll give you that much!" Ultra Magnus is honestly surprised that Astrotrain stopped!, He was prepaired to destroy the rails at the crossing in order to stop him. Thankfuly however the colateral damage was forstalled for now. "I understand that this is out of character for a autobot, let alone myself." spoke Magnus as his arms unfloded from his chest, one hand drifting down to his thigh, the limb seeming to com apart, his rifle offered up into his hand from the internal holster. His thigh reformed as he pulled the weapon free and leveled it upon the train, it's powercell humming to life, "But this is a hold up." he announced. Yep, Magnus just cowboyed uop in Mother Russia, this was a train robbery. Robo-Kong tries to grab the tank which has just rammed him and flip it onto its back! You evade Robo-Kong's Turtle Flip attack. Red Spacecraft pulls up sharply after letting loose his barrage of lasers, swooping around for another aerial strike on the larger Autobot below. While Sentinel checks himself for damage, Redshift zooms in his optic sensors, getting a view of his opponent. Big, thick armor plates. Probaly strong, and probaly slow. No problem! Redshift makes a quick transformation into his robot mode, smirking down on Sentinel while the Autobot throws a ROCK at him. Redshift whips out his rifle, and shoots down the incoming boulder, which hopefully peppers Sentinel with a shower of jagged fragments of what was formerly a big rock. The sleek red spacecraft transforms into the winged warrior Redshift. Redshift strikes Sentinel with jagged rock fragments. "What did yo..." "Did you ju..." "Are you tryin to..." Alright so Astrotrain can't really form any words at the moment. So a moment later, he pulls forward a few feet, his rearward section unhitching from the railway cars with a loud *KA-CLACK!* Free of hid burden, he transforms as well, rising up, his own rifle already in hand as he half points it back in Magnus' direction, his other hand rising up to point a finger at the big red, white and blue Autobot. "YER gonna rob me!? YER GETTIN IT MIXED UP! It's supposed to be the other way around! You're cheating!" In a chorus of shifting and spinning parts, Astrotrain's body spins and lifts up into his large robot mode. James Bailey winces in anticipation as his screen shows Apeface grabbing the side of his tank. James is pretty new to this type of Exo-Armor, but he already knows every tanker's greatest fear is a dreaded 'turtle' attack. But instead of flipping over, the hovertank instantly engages one set of lift units, then the other, causing it to right itself before it tips more than halfway over. The pleasant female voice of the computer system reports, "Stabalization successful." James looks on in amazement, then hurriedly snaps his targetting reticle back over Apeface and pulls the trigger for the Warthog's Autocannon. Robo-Kong evades your AC/10 attack. For what it's worth, Sentinel is not a stupid robot, but his own weapon gets used against him as the rock shards collide with his body, some of them burying inside of his armor. He cannot waste time pulling each one out so instead he reaches back for his energy axe, the blade *CRACKLING* to life. Sentinel stalks down his opponent, each step he takes gathering momentum until he is finally within range, the blade seeming to cut the very air in which it moves.... Sentinel strikes Redshift with energy_axe. Robo-Kong sees this one coming at least. He springs over the tank with a whoop as it swings its turret towards him and tries to punch it in the barrel! Robo-Kong strikes you with Knuckle Punch for 6 points of damage. The Glaive watches for a second as Robo-Kong tries to punch and manages to hurt the poor Hermes. "Seems like Mojo Dojo still wants to dance..." The pilot swoops the Exo down and tries to pummel Apeface in the left shoulder. << If we keep concentrating on his cervos, we can bring him down to an easier target, Two.>> Glaive II - Prototype strikes Robo-Kong with GLAIVE SMASH PUNY MONKEY. Redshift's sneer of superiority is short lived, as the much larger Autobot whips out a big freakin' axe. Instinctivly, Redshift brings up his left arm to shield his face from the strike of the crackling, energy-laced axe. Redshift's face is briefly hidden behind his forearm, then quickly revealed; His left arm, cut off midway from elbow to wrist, drops to the ground. Redshift blinks, stunned for a brief second as he stares at his stump, and then at the disembodied hand... Which twitches reflexivly. He looks up to face Sentinel with a glare, his smirk replaced by a snarl. "You want to play ROUGH, Mr.big shot? FINE, have it your way." He snarls, and brings up his gauss rifle. He fires from the hip, not even bothering to take careful aim in the close quarters, but with Sentinel so close, it should hardly matter. Redshift strikes Sentinel with Gauss Rifle. A chill wind blows across the railroad crossing, snow swept up in flurries around their ankles, a tumbleweed bounces by.. inexplicably, it's a russian cousin of the old west favorite.. The big fluffy hat gives it away. Magnus is not without his sense of humor, it is a dry, rusty thing but it is there and right now it is rather tickled. His features ar collored with a scruff like layer of frost around his jaw line, his lips curled into a rare, crooked smile. "Nope." he answers monosylbly as Astrotrain states the obvious flaw in this scenario. "This can go one of two ways, Astrotrain." announces Magnus, "The first being that you turn tail and head back to eastern russia without your ill-gotten gains. The other? Well.. Either way I can't say I see you walking away from thias with that cargo in tow, Soldier." Sentinel did not intend to deal such damage to Redshift, merely to stop them from their assault on the Urals, but as he lingers a little too long at the severed hand on the ground.....Redshift takes advantage. It seems as though the Decepticon's words are barely out of his mouth before Sentinel is launched into the air from the concussion of the blast. He lands with a loud *CLANK* on the ground, his body laying still for a few moments. It is with great pain that he pushes himself to his feet, haphazardly transforming and tracking his target again. A few shots fire from each of the mounted cannons, though he does not take the time for proper aim... An armored transport rests where Sentinel once did. Sentinel strikes Redshift with Disruptor. James Bailey is rattled around as the punch sends the hovertank scooting back like an air-hockey puck. He looks at the computer in annoyance. "What happened to the stabalization that time?" He quips once the tank finally settles back to it's normal hover. The computer's cheerfully chirpy female voice shoots back, "Stabalization -successful-", putting emphasis this time on the second word. James blinks and eyes the tank's interior with concern. When he adjusts the targetting controls, he does it gently this time, almost politely. "Um...charge lasers. Please?" With no sign of it's earlier snippyness, the Warthog powers up the forward lasers. You strike Robo-Kong with Small Pulse Laser. Astrotrain, ironically enough has shifted his rifle to holding it in front of him now with both hands, like an old West outlaw clutching his Coach Gun as he stares down the Marshall. "Ya think pretty highly of yerself, eh Magnus? Ya want these cubes yer gonna have to go through me to get at em first, and I'm gonna give ya the stompin of yer lifetime before that happens!" The image is abruptly ruined as the big triplechanger stomps his large, blocky feet on the ground almost like a kid having a temper tantrum. "This ain't fair!" he howls out, pointing that accusing finger again, "You should be the one standin here and me demandin ya hand it over! Except I wouldn't so much demand as just beat ya up and take it for giggles!" A pause. "That's a good idea anyway, no matter which side I'm standin on!" And with that, he shifts his rifle up again and fires a quick blast at Magnus' torso. "Last one standin, Magnus!" Astrotrain strikes Ultra Magnus with Energy Rifle. Redshift quickly ducks down to snatch up his severed limb, forced to stow away his rifle in order to do so. He was going to stash his still-twitching left hand into his chest cockpit, but the weapons fire from the now transformed Sentinel distract him. A small hole is blasted in his armor before Redshift can get get away, and with little time for more advanced stratedgy, he leaps in, and lashes out with the only weapon he has at hand; his other hand! Redshift strikes Sentinel with severed arm. Lasers cut channels across Apeface's armor- he senses that he is badly damaged, but determined not to be forced into retreat without leaving his mark, he goes for the tank again, trying to lift it into the air... he means to try to crush the Glaive under it like a boulder! Apeface unleashes his Villainous Deadlift attack on Exo-Tank Hermes Class and Glaive II - Prototype , striking no one. Sentinel is struck.....perhaps out of the shock of the attack, or the fact that Redshift never broke stride as he attacked.....but Sentinel falls prey to the severed arm of doom! Sincerely limited in this mode the mounted cannons fire up again, this time sending off round after round of small ballistic shells. "There is no shame in leaving this place, Decepticon..." Sentinel strikes Redshift with ballistic. Spang! the energy bolt impacts against Magnus heavily armored form, a trail of smoke lifting from the cybertronian thumb sized divet in his armor. The City Commander peered down at the scorch mark. He knew that wasn't the full brunt of that massive weapon's power.. but still. Looking up, Magnus steadied his aim, one foot swept infront of the other as he strode forward, his finger nestled on the trigger as he locked on. He was halted by a situational advisory, a yellow outline forming on the car behind Astrotrain.. The energon within to volitile to risk a potential miss. Frowning, Magnus allowed the rifle arm to drift low, "I offered you a chance." he reminded the triple changer befor he lunged forward, a good swift jab snapped out at his armored dome. Ultra Magnus misses Astrotrain with his jab attack. Glaive II - Prototype catches the tank that poor James probably just lost his lunch in and begins to set it down carefully. "Crud, I wanted to use missiles, but at this range... I can't risk hurting James..." His little side mounted turrets open fire on Apeface as Nate makes sure that James is safe from friendly fire! Glaive II - Prototype strikes Robo-Kong with ballistic. Nate Briar says, "Two, what is this guy on? He's taken a beating from both of us and missing every hit takes. How much longer can we keep dodging him if he can't drop?" Exo-Tank Hermes Class Tank is sent flying through the air, lift units whining loudly as they try to regain control. However the expected collision never occurs, as instead Nate manages to use his Glaive to catch the Warthog tank in midair. Inside, James waits patiently until Nate sets his Exo down before shifting to his Exo's simulated robot mode. He didn't want to risk changing while the Glaive was still holding him - no telling what kind of stories that might have caused back in the EDC barracks. But once on the ground the Warthog does change to robot form and raise it's weapons. After a second, the external emitters click on. "Nice catch, Lead." Then it opens fire on Apeface, trying to follow the Glaive's aim and concentrate firepower on the same spots. Exo-Tank Hermes Class unfolds each pod under itself forming arms and legs, the nose folds down revealing a head which flashes its lone optic. You strike Robo-Kong with Medium Laser. James Bailey says, "I have no idea, Lead...we've got to be wearing him down, but with all these other hostiles in the area that's not gonna do much good if we use up all of our ammo on just one." Astrotrain was indeed half expecting Ultra Magnus to open fire, honestly. To be truthful, the triplechanger has actually forgotten about his cargo now with the building excitement and the prospect of a real fight on his hands. The Autobot City Commander is probably lucky that the triplechanger isn't a smarter Decepticon who might think of leveraging the volatile cargo as some sort of advantage in this battle. All bluster and puffed up pride aside, Astrotrain knows darn well that Magnus is no slouch, and he's going to need every ounce of his near ridiculous speed mixed with his tough, rugged body if he's going to put on a good show tonight, perhaps with a bit of luck mixed in for good measure. As Magnus lunges in, Astrotrain darts hard to one side, ducking low and half rolling to a stop a few paces off, one of his feet coming down on a parked car and crushing it into little more than tinfoil in the process. Let's face it. When transformers do battle, particularly big transformers, there's going to be collatoral damage of some sort. Thankfully, people have figured out that bad things are going to happen, and have already started getting clear of the potential warzone in the middle of this town. Property can be rebuilt. Lives cannot. "I'm gonna wipe that smirk right off yer..." Astrotrain pauses. "...okay so you ain't smiling. Imma punch you! IN THE MOUTH!" And he suddenly lunges forward to do just that, going low and using his slightly-but-not-much shorter stature to try and get under Magnus' reach and plant his knuckles on target! Astrotrain strikes Ultra Magnus with Eek! the Cat. Robo-Kong despairs of knocking these things out before getting wrecked himself. And this in his first encounter on this planet! He's going to have to rethink his approach. "Why didn't you tell me the meat-critters were so dangerous, Shockwave," he mutters under his breath as he takes cover behind a stand of trees under heavy fire. A blast of flame roars out from the copse of laser-shredded trunks as Apeface launches into the sky in his jetmode, making a hasty escape! Apeface reorganizes himself into a sleek dagger shape. Apeface retreats from the area swiftly, outdistancing all pursuit and parting shots. Redshift's form is riddled with the spray of small bullets, a mode of attack Redshift is used to dishing out, rather than being on the recieving end. His once spotless and shiny armor is now dinged, dented, his red paint scraped away. Redshift takes the time now to stash his seered arm away where it will be safe, and it might come in handy at some point. Redshift glares at the armoured personelle carrier. "Leave? Now why would I want to leave?" Redshift asks calmly, trying to distract the Autobot with a bit of conversation. "Things are just getting started! I love a good scrap as much as the next son of Cybertron, don't you? I take pleasure in knowing who I'm up against, so I believe some introductions are in order. I'm Redshift, by the way. You've probaly heard of me. Monacus Olympics winner? Fastest Decepticon in aerospace? Idiot twin brother?" Redshift asks in a conversational tone, slowly circling the larger Autobot... and all the while, slowly pulling out his other accessory-I mean, firearm, a large missile launcher. With a sudden burst of motion after his monologue, Redshift bursts ino the air, and fires off a single heavily-laden missile at the thus-far unnamed Autobot target. Redshift strikes Sentinel with Fusion Rocket. Sentinel's body is badly injured......his front wheels have stopped moving from the missile explosion. He transforms, this frame just as injured....but he moves into attack position. The energy axe, his most trusted weapon, clings to his side until he swings it a couple of times over his head, finally coming down on the Decepticon like a logger angry at the wood. Sentinel shifts into his robot mode. Sentinel strikes Redshift with energy_axe. Yes, Astrotrain was fast, Ultra Magnus just hoped that he could handle the speed.. His multiple bouts with Scourge offering him some insight into the tactics of speedier combatants against those larger and more cumbersome then they. Astrotrain's banter allows Magnus the opertunity to square up with the swifter mech, rifle abandoned to a mag lock at his hip, range too close for it.. and he wanted to see if he could make tag the quicker foe. His head rocked back by that jab to the face, a grunt of impact but little more shown in testament to the blow. Hoping to catch the con on the recovery, Magnus snapped a hand out to Astrotrain's middle, trying to drag him forward into a quickly lifting knee to the gut. If Astrotrain wanted a brawl then Magnus was just the mech to come to. Ultra Magnus misses Astrotrain with his Knee attack. From Glaive II - Prototype , Nate Briar smirks as he gets a radio message from General Brair, "Good. Maybe he can up my pay." Nate watches Apeface leave and Redshift look like he needds to back away. <> For now the Ghost Lead begins to circle Astrotrain, locking his weapon systems on the target. Sunder has connected. Nate Briar says, "General, Two deserves a pay raise." Michael Briar says, "He got one with the rank increase. But it's worth noting." Redshift is felled like a tree, the blazing energy-bladed axe coming down hard on Redshift. It cuts several gashes ino his armor, but none as devastating as the one which took off his hand earlier. The cumulative effect, however, is enough to take ost of the fight out of Redshift's spirit. He glares at Sentinel, while heading for the air. He transforms into his now battered spacecraft mode, and briefly entertains the notion of giving the obviously damaged Autobot a taste of the 'Redshift Special', but even if he took down Sentinle, he'd be in no condition to fight the EDC and thier powered armors. "Watch yourself, because I'll be back!" He emits, before heading for orbit. Redshift transforms into his sleek spacecraft mode and takes to the air. Redshift begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Sweepcraft , Superjet. Astrotrain certainly can't match Magnus blow for blow by any means, there is no question about this. But as far as mechs go, Astrotrain is still big, strong and very sturdily built and he has the speed to dance in circles at the same time, making a for a potent combination of power and agility that lives up well to his position as an elite member of the Decepticon forces. Now we know why he's short on smarts...he had to make up for it somewhere. As Magnus moves to bodily drag him into the knee, there is a brief moment of grappling between the two figures as they strain back and forth in a show of strength. Again, no contest here as to who would win. But then Astrotrain begins to squirm about, twisting in Magnus' grip and suddenly wrenching himself into the air, anti-gravs kicking him upwards for a seconds before he flips over and tries to bring BOTH of his huge boots down on Magnus' head, trying to bring the big Autobot down to the ground through a bit of brute force mixed with some finesse of his own. "Down boy! Sit! STAY! Good toy soldier!" Astrotrain strikes Ultra Magnus with Blow. Michael Briar says, "Right. Anyone else who's available, center on the ghosts locator beacons and help where you can. I'm on my way." Michael Briar says, "Michael Briar, Glaive Unity...launching!" Nate Briar says, "General, Astrotrain and Ultra Magnus are still going at it. The other Decepticons have left. I fear this is the calm before the storm." Exo-suit Glaive Unity arrives from the Moscow to the west. Of Astrotrain's Speed, Power, and Durability it was currently his speed that vexed the City Commander so. Just when he believed he had the mech in hand he managed to twist free of his grasp. Magnus' features set into a determined scowl, refusing to let frustration dull his technique and focues. More banter from the triple changer and then a heavy blow in punctuation. Two feet slam down on the head of the Autobot second, they strike like sledges, on shearing away a pipe sending it to clatter to earth, ringing hollowly along with the clamour of the blow of cybertronian alloys. Magnus staggers back, on his heels and stumbling, powerlines dragged down as he falls over them, wood groaning and cracking as the powerpoles snapp and fall. Static gnawed at the edges of his vision, he chased it away with a shake of his head, grunting his displeasure as he rose to his feet, one hand grabbing up a fallen pole as a cudgle, "It'll take more then that, Astrotrain." he reported as he laid both hands on the weapon and swung for the fences. Ultra Magnus misses Astrotrain with his Batter UP! attack. Sweepcraft has been on patrol, and when he realizes there is a battle, he heads to the area with all haste. Spotting the humans in their Exo's, the Sweep charges up his disruptors and fires at the closest one, not bothering to announce his entrance. Sweepcraft strikes you with disruptor for 9 points of damage. Scrapper was out salvaging for parts for the super Decepticon defences in the city of Moscow. And so he has been terrorizing the surrounding cities for various exotic machinery. Specicially, he needed parts for the... well, the humans and Autobots will find out soon enough once they roll into Moscow and come face to face with what Hook, Scrapper, and all the unplayed Constructicons have in store for them. Regardless, the Constructicon CO has decided to help his companions in the hope that this will mean less time wasted patching them up in the repair bay. Scrapper is flying in robot mode, as the mountainous terrain is too tough even for his off road wheels to move along comfortably. <> emits the damaged Glaive. Nate Briar locks his high powered rifle on the Sweep just as it attacks James. "Eat one of my teammates and you come back for more! Hell no!" The pilot looks angered, but not that anyone can see it. <> While his sniper scope pings Sunder, the missiles on the Glaive hiss and rumble off as they are given life! Glaive II - Prototype strikes Sweepcraft with YOU ATE JAYSON, NOW HAVE SOME TUMS!. Astrotrain jets backwards a split second before the pipe makes contact, the swing missing his frame by a scant foot or so. "HA! You missed!" He taunts. And proceeds to skid backwards across the street. The backs of his shins hit a parked cement truck at a construction site, tripping Astrotrain up in the process and sending the triplechanger toppling arse over tea kettle into a pile of steel girders that are sent hurtling every which way in a chorus of metallic parts and a cacophony of noise that only a Junkyard dog could love. So much for agile and graceful. "Ugh..." Astrotrain grunts, slowly sitting up, rubbing at his head before he gets to one knee, raising his rifle and releasing a stream of low powered shots in Magnus' direction. The blue bolts screeching their way down the street towards their target. You know the sort of shots we're talking about! Astrotrain strikes Ultra Magnus with Pewpewpew!. Exo-Tank Hermes Class Robot is rocked by the disruptors, the pilot inside apparently caught by surprise by the fresh attacker. In response to Nate's command, it transforms into hovertank mode and unleashes a quick rocket barrage. Exo-Tank Hermes Class folds each pod under itself and unfolds to lay down forming its hovertank mode. You strike Sweepcraft with I DON'T EVEN LIKE JAYSON THAT MUCH BUT NATE'S THE SQUAD LEADER. Exo-Suit Glaive Unity soars down from the sky on jets of flame. The entire unity is surrounded by a white light as it speeds along getting just within the battlefield. Michael does a quick scan around him picking out targets as he goes before turning towards Sunder and Nate paring off. Michael says, "Jasyon....SUNDER!" He opens up the Unity's speed and bursts forward screaming out as he pulls his rail rifle from his hip and fires off a burst of rail fire. Exo-suit Glaive Unity misses Sweepcraft with its RCR-104 'Hunter' Rifle attack. Nate Briar says, "General, I'm at half energy. That's the Sweep that ate Redfield." Michael Briar says, "Then he's mine!" Nate Briar says, "General, I might like to inform you that /your/ hit missed." Michael Briar says, "I'm just getting warmed up." James Bailey says, "Coordinated fire, Ghost Lead. First rule of Exo-Transformer combat. He leads the target straight into our gunsights." Nate Briar says, "General, in all seriousness... Two and I have been holding our own. I'm hoping to flush out the Cons..." Strike One! The City Commander Smashed nothing but air with his blow, the wooden rod creating a low whistle as it swept unhinsdered through the air. Magnus' frustration was slowly weighing in upon him, aided little by the prancing of his foe as he drew back out of his reach. He was just in the middle of a aggrivated grumble when Astrotrain took his tumble, the City Commander himself forced to flinch at the sight of the misfortune and the sour symphony it brought along. What ever sympathy might have built up inside of him was quickly erased by the nettling shots, his armor pitting but refusing to breach against their assault. "Don't they teach you cons when and how to act a fool in Gloating 101 back at your boot camps?" inquires Magnus curiously as he wades forward through the stining hail of shots, his optics blazing to full life, the deep blue seeming to crackle and quiver befor it lanced out in a pair of lasers. Ultra Magnus strikes Astrotrain with Eye Lasers. Scrapper soars into the battlefield, laser pistol already set. He sees the familiar sight of Briar's Unity and makes a note to stay away from that. "Jayson Sunder?" The Constructicon asks out loud. "The slag is he going on about?" Hovering in mid-air, Scrapper watches as Astrotrain rather bravely takes on Ultra Magnus. That is one Autobot Scrapper only likes fighting when he has an army beside him. "Don't they teach you Autobots not to...suck..so much!?" There you have it ladies and gentlemen. Astrotrain's snappy comebacks 101. As he gets to his feet, he is suddenly struck by the shots from optic lasers! It rocks him back on his feet for a few paces, enough to get a grunt as it scorches his chestplate, one large hand rising to the superheated surface as a brief plume of smoke rises into the air. In the end he seems more...surprised, than hurt. "...you have optic lasers!? I don't remember that!" With that, he again points that oh so accusing finger. "I knew you were a dirty cheater, Magnus!" His other hand rises up, as his near rusty, salvaged sword appears in his grip. "C'mere!" He says then, suddenly launching himself forward with a leap into the air, descending with his blade following in a one-handed chopping motion. "Imma cut ya down to size!" Astrotrain misses Ultra Magnus with his Blade attack. Sweepcraft manages to dodge the incoming attack from Michael Briar's Exo, but is unable to avoid the missiles. He grunts as they strike--and then James Bailey's weapons also find their mark. "As much as I'd like to say so, I didn't eat your friend," the Sweep hisses, "But I might consider it, if you do not withdraw!" He warms up his plasma cannons and fires at James Bailey again. "If I wanted to eat one of you, I'd barbecue you first!" Sweepcraft strikes you with plasma for 16 points of damage. Yes, Ultra Magnus has mother loving eye lasers. He couldn't help but feel his humor improve, he rather liked those little additions of Depth Charge's, after all what better targeting could he want then from his very own optics? He cringed visably in reply to the all to obvious pun as Astrotrain lunged in to bring the fight back into close quarters, a deft shift of his weight turning him to the side as he swayed back from the stroke. "I've had some work done." confesses the City Commander. He wasn't ashamed of it, in today's cast of younger, better looking Autobots he needed every bit of help he could get to remain in the public eye. He responded to that avoided sword stroke with a quick slap, his arm winding across his form, springs in his shoulder and elbow compressed befor they released, a swift and powerful back hand stroke sent for the decepticon's features. Ultra Magnus strikes Astrotrain with Backhand from the Boss Man. From Glaive II - Prototype , Nate Briar grumbles and sighs slightly, "Gah, this Sweep will need to drop." He spots another energy signature in the distance. <> Nathan Briar wants revenge for Jayson and now James. He aims the sniper rifle at the Sweep again and tries to fire the trigger. "End of the line..." Glaive II - Prototype misses Sweepcraft with his Sniper Rifle attack. From Exo-suit Glaive Unity , Michael Briar grumbles with his missed shots. His shots never miss! He needs a mulligan! The Unity roars on closing the gap between it and Sunder while replacing its smoking rail rifle onto its hip. With a flick of its wrists, energy blades form around the fists and he slashes at the sweep with lines of purple in their wake. Exo-suit Glaive Unity strikes Sweepcraft with energy blade slice. James Bailey breaks out in a sudden sweat as Plamsa washes over the exterior of his Exo. "Alert, exterior surface temperatures reaching critical levels," The computer reports. "How about the interior levels..." James mutters in response. "Interior cabin temperatures within acceptable levels." the computer replies sweetly. James frowns. Next time he's back at base, he has GOT to get this system checked out. He checks his ammo levels with a worried look, then triggers another long autocannon burst. At the same time he tweaks on his radio. "Lead, we may have a problem here...I'm not configured for anti-air and I'm running low on expendables." You strike Sweepcraft with AC/10. Nate Briar says, "Understood then. General, we might need to fall back soon. I am sorry, the Urals look like we lost them." James Bailey says, "Uh...negative Lead, I'm running low on expendables. Not out yet. Just letting you know. I can switch to lasers for a bit." Michael Briar says, "Just make sure you have enough power to get back, Ghost Two." Astrotrain falls for it hook, line and sinker. What more can be said? He misses making contact on Magnus on his descent, and his blade bites deeply into the ground in the process. "Gah! C'mon you little...!" Like an idiot, he stands there for a few seconds, grunting and straining on the weapon before he wrenches it free with a metallic scrunching sound. "THERE we go! Now I'm gonna smack ya one right in the..." And right at this moment, Magnus' huge hand impacts the side of his head. Astrotrain's body jerks back, his big form careening several paces backwards before he topples over like a Redwood put to the chainsaw, his frame crashing into a convenience store and crushing half of the building in the process in a huge cloud of mortar, bricks and other building materials. A few moments pass, an da silence falls on the area, until finally Astrotrain can be heard shuffling about in the mess, sitting upright. "Awright. That's it." He exclaims, raising his arms as he pulls a neat little trick, not even bothering to stand up before he transforms. Shifting around and twisting, his body reconfigures itself as he suddenly rises up on eight huge steel wheels, a thick blast of smoke coming from his stack in short order. That's right, he doesn't necessarily need rails to operate in this form. "Yer big and tough, Magnus...but let's see ya shrug THIS ONE off!" And with that, there is a brilliant explosion of thrusterfire from his rocket boosters, and a deep furrow of torn concrete ripping free as he bursts forward from the rubble, now bearing down on Ultra Magnus as a large, well armored locomotive bent on scoring some roadkill. Spinning and shifting parts result in Astotrain's heavy locomotive form taking shape. Astrotrain strikes Ultra Magnus with Ram. Nate Briar says, "I'm worried about Ultra Magnus. It looks like he's taking a really bad beating from Astrotrain." Michael Briar says, "Good luck trying to pull him away though." James Bailey says, "The EDC file on him indicates that he should be able to take it. He's got more armor than the Atlantis!" Nate Briar says, "I think we should be expecting a bigger ambush soon. Galvatron's not here yet. That makes me worry." Ultra Magnus strained, "I assure you, ngh, Corporal Brair. I have taken far worse then this befor. James Bailey says, "With his (reported) airspeed? Hunh. I'm more worried about more Sweep-class Decepticons showing up. They normally work in groups." James Bailey says, "And uh, he's Sergeant Briar now." Scrapper snaps his lime green fingers as it all comes together now. "Ah ha, this is about that prisoner Dredclaw reported about." Scrapper skimmed the report, but lost interest rather quickly. He couldn't care less what is done to organic prisoners, as organics make for lousy art supplies. Ever try making a Transformer sized chair out of 130lb human? Doesn't work, let me tell you. Scrapper advances into the human battle, pleased that they are shooting Sunder instead of him. But not too pleased, since he realizes that once Sunder is a stain on the ground, they'll go for him next. Eager to ensure that his shield is well taken care of, Scrapper waves the Sweep over. "Here, Sunder!" he calls out, drawing out his laser screwdriver. Screwdriver in one hand and pistol in the other, the Constructicon quickly seals up several of the gashes in Sunder's armour plating. Scrapper jury-rigs Sunder, taking a few moments to patch up some damage. Ultra Magnus says, "Noted, congratulations." Corporal Gabriel Henshaw says, "The Sweeps are like a pack of wolves... about the closest analogy to them we've got, anyway. Sunder has limits -- they all have limits... even Scourge." Nate Briar says, "Thanks, Ultra Magnus." Oh but Ultra Magnus enjoyed that.. the destruction of private property not su much but the feeling of Decepticon facial assemblies bouncing off the back of his hand very much so. He fully expected the triple changer to get back up, he very much so wanted it in fact.. only if he could have chosen a less harmful method of counter. Ultra Magnus' optics narrowed as that rocket powered rail runner came rushing towards him, to quick to avoid, his only hope was to brace for impact. What little good it did him. Astrotrain hammered him feriociously the City Commander plastered across the train engine's front as they tore a destructive streak across the street and through several places of buisness, the City Commander's back acting as battering ram. Grit and determination found the City Ciommander's feet digging deep ruts in the earth as he regained his senses, tearing trenches as he attempted a firm hold, every servo of his being devoted into a wrenching twist to try and send the runaway train crashing onto it's side. Ultra Magnus strikes Locomotive with Train Derailed. Sweepcraft goes right over to Scrapper to be repaired. "Thank the void," he murmurs, "I need all possible strength to pulverize the humans!" Glaive II - Prototype rockets around and tries to take some cover. The Glaive glows for a second as the electrical storm from the tesla coils consumes the outside of the exo. "God, I only have one last shot at this..." He tries to zap the Sweep as it is getting repaired by the Constructicon! <> Glaive II - Prototype strikes Sweepcraft with tesla coil shield blade. You can imagine the amount of strength required to push a thirty ton armored locomotive onto it's side. YOu can also imagine that Ultra Magnus is capable of that sort of feat of strength, and then some, as the triplechanger's savage glee at smashing Magnus across his ram prow is quickly replaced by a sudden howl as he feels his center of balance tipping to one side. "Waaaugh! STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT!" Too late, his right wheels leave the ground, and with a deafning *TOOM* the train hits the pavement, skidding in a huge shower of sparks and swiping through a parking lot, wiping out every vehicle it makes contact with and crushing them into little more than junk in the process. He skids for a good several hundred feet before his momentum finally runs out, and he comes to a halt, laying still for a few seconds. "....ooorgh." Again, silence falls on the field of battle, a brief moment to catch one's proverbial breath. And then Astrotrain reacts, trying to get some control on the situation again. With Magnus still gripping his front end, he reacts the best way he knows how, his entire body lighting up in a brilliant, blue display of electricity. "LEGGO!" Astrotrain misses Ultra Magnus with his electricity attack. Exo-Tank Hermes Class Tank hovers over to the edge of a rocky outcropping where it's sensors can follow where Sunder went. <> it transmits back. Then it transforms into it's robotic form, lifting a handheld laser to add it's own firepower to the attack. Exo-Tank Hermes Class unfolds each pod under itself forming arms and legs, the nose folds down revealing a head which flashes its lone optic. You strike Sweepcraft with Medium Laser. Nate Briar says, "I just got the Autobot frequency on. We're going to be getting help soon I believe. Two, you did excellent. I could not have asked for a better wingman. I'm going to need to fallback." James Bailey says, "Same here, Lead. I'm probably right behind you. But hey - at least this time they're gonna remember we were here." Ultra Magnus's chest is a battered mess, a keen eye could detect details of Astrotrain's foremost section impressed into the deep indentation, his back has fared little better, armor rent and battered from use as a wave breaker against stone and steel. It is by luck more then effort that Magnus looses his hold on Astrotrain, the strain of that herculeian feat having for the moment drained him leaving him to kneel as his systems set about handling the aftermath of the stress. His attention is lifted when he hears electricity cracle off og Astrotrain's surface, a short wire or was he hoping to have the Autobot still clinging to his cow catcher? He loosed a worn laugh as he stood up upon aching legs, reaching back grasp his rifle that had clung to him tenaciously all the while, "Soldier, I'll give you this, you don't know when to call it quits." and with that he attempted to drive a laser charge through the engine's armor plating. Ultra Magnus misses Locomotive with his Photon Rifle attack. Locomotive transforms fast. Not quite Battlecharger fast, but fast nonetheless, and by the time Magnus pulls the trigger, he's already rising up, his body shifting and spinning as he all but hurls himself to one side, the shot from Magnus' weapon streaking by overhead as Astrotrain kisses the pavement almost literally. "...oof!" Laying there for only a moment, he shifts about onto his aftplate again, unshouldering his own rifle and gripping it in both hands as he points it towards the middle of Magnus' wide frame. "I ain't kickin off till I'm satisfied I've roughed ya up enough! SIDDOWN!" And with having turned the dial of his rifle to maximum output, he lets loose with a thick blast that snaps his arms back with the sheer recoil, as a snarling orange ball of energy hurtles for its target. In a chorus of shifting and spinning parts, Astrotrain's body spins and lifts up into his large robot mode. Astrotrain strikes Ultra Magnus with Energy Rifle . Scrapper lets go of Sunder and drifts away, only to see the Sweep get blasted some more, undoing the vast majority of his work. "You know, if you started dodging this wouldn't be a problem," he tells the Sweep. The Constructicon holsters his screwdriver and aims for the Glaive II as it sends an electrical storm their way. Scrapper recognizes the armour as Michael Briar's old one, and wouldn't mind sending it to the scapyard as a result. Scrapper strikes Glaive II - Prototype with Laser Pistol - Low Setting. Powerglide flies into view like the awesome S.O.B he is. A red nuisance in the sky, he banks a bit and descends; the gatling gun protruding from his plane nose giving off a mischievous gleam. He sends a short range transmission to Da' Boss Magnus, /Yo, need a hand or somethin' down there, sir? I'm roarin' to go!/ There it was, the full power of that boom stick, he'd been expecting it.. he'd bee expecting -worse-. It hammers his battered form, exploding against ravaged armor and tearing into the City Commander with vengence, his armor becomes heavy, unyielding, dammaged, the connection severed/ The titan staggers and lists, a bark of pain followed by a strained grunt. "I.. already told you, Astrotrain." he muttered as he seemed to fall apart, heavy plating falling away and clattering to the floor, his core revealed, battered but nowhere nearly as bad as his exterior, "It will take more then that to keep me down." intoned the ghostly form of Magnus, his laser rigle hefted, a twin to the fabled weapon of Optimus and nearly a match for it's power. He let the weapon itself atest this point, a pull of the trigger letting it speak it's peice. Shedding his armor or detaching from his trailer, Ultra Magnus transforms.. into what can only be called a white Optimus Prime. Ultra Magnus strikes Astrotrain with gauss. Sweepcraft is hit by more blasts, and is thankful for the jury-rig job. The attacks obliterate much of Scrapper's hard work, but he's better off than if he hadn't been rigged. When the retreat is called, he obliges gladly. "We will finish this another time, humans!" he shouts, before rocketing off back to base. Astrotrain was just in the process of getting to his feet again, when he is caught by the second blast and slammed back to the ground in a chorus of metallic parts. It's testament to his recent upgrades and his physical toughness that he's still going, and is shockingly enough still in one piece, albeit with a great deal of burnt armor plating and a sizable crack in the front of his frame. IT's more damaged than he's been in a good, long while. Slowly, he gets to his feet yet again, using his rifle to help prop himself up. One hand raises to wipe a bit of energon from the side of his mouth, hands clenched into fists. Despite it all, he actually looks capable of still going more than a few rounds, and he's still moving surprisingly well, only a little bit of that damnable speed having been shaved off so far. "I can do it..." he finally grates out, a moment of true seriousness falling into the situation. "I'll keep hittin ya, and soon enough yer gonna fall Magnus! Ya ain't able to keep up with me!" And there it comes over the radio. A resounding 'retreeeeeeeeeeeat' that just isn't quite as shrill and nostalgic as the old days. Sorry Scrapper, but you just can't quite say it like Starscream could! "Gnnngh..." The triplechanger growls under his breath. He's interested in self preservation above all else, but in his mind this fight could still go either way. He's roughed up, but he's certain he's hurt Magnus bad in the process too. And he HATES being uncertain. Absolutely hates it. That finger jabs forward once more. "Yer lucky this time, Magnus! One of these days I'm gonna get a chance to finish a rumble with you and I'm gonna show ya it don't matter how big and manly a mech ya think ya are, ya go down all the same when I hit ya enough! And furthermore....WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" Having pointed over Magnus' shoulder at that last statement, Astrotrain promptly turns and runs! Astrotrain was right, stike him enough and he will fall just like any other warrior. He was made of argonized steel and polymer sinew like every other Cybertronian. Therwe was simply one flaw in Astrotrain's plan. Magnus would be hitting back every time. He didn't fall for the ploy, he didn't move to pursue either. He let the triple changer flee, his attention turning back to the freight cars full of energon left back on the tracks.. Today was a good day. James Bailey sits back in the pilot's chair of his Exo, watching in relief as the Decepticons start departing one after another. He checks his sensors, unsure of what just happened. "At the end of the day, Astrotrain," Scrapper calls out to the fleeing Triplechanger, "I'm just not whiny enough to pull it off. Starscream can /keep/ his legendary retreat call!" The Constructicon, having orchestrated the most vital of Decepticon battle maneuvers, rises up higher into the air. "You've won this round, Autobots, but don't think for a second that we aren't going to be back in force!" Maybe, Scrapper thinks to himself. Scrapper begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Raptor, Powerglide, Albinomus Prime , Sentinel, Glaive II - Prototype , Exo-Tank Hermes Class Robot, Sweepcraft , Superjet. Astrotrain says, "Oh SON OF A, one of those cars had my kegger! MAGNUS YOU THIEVING BASTIMECH!" Astrotrain says, "I'll get you and your little antennae too!" Foxfire says, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't think Cybertron heard you. Wanna scream louder?" Astrotrain says, "Okay then!" Astrotrain says, "AUUUUGH!" Sideswipe says, "You got train Jacked.. By Magnus? Ultra Magnus right? Big, blue, never really smiles?" Astrotrain says, "It's not funny." Astrotrain says, "I hate you!" Foxfire says, "The feeling's mutual!" Astrotrain heavystompingfootstepsdooorslams. Scrapper, Scrapper, Scrapper, Scrapper!? Magnus has not forgoten you, Scrapper. Has not forgotten your little toy nor the trouble it caused.. He'll get youy next time, Scrapper, Next time. Scrapper ironically has no idea about the problems his toy caused. All he knows is that the toy failed to transmit back any useful data, and instead of Ultra Magnus following Decepticon orders, he's been smashing Astrotrain around.